Rhetoric vs. Reality | Frustration and Immigration

by Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Rhetoric vs. Reality - Late yesterday the Pentagon announced that observers on the ground determined that the crisis on Mt. Sinjar had eased, making a planned rescue operation "far less likely." (I wish I could say the same about America under Obama. Somebody please rescue us!)

Obama went on TV a few hours ago to pat himself on the back for easing the crisis. But a more accurate description would be that the crisis has simply moved. As the increasing ranks of homeless Iraqis and crucified Christians attest, the crisis posed by Islamic State jihadists is far from over.

President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel are increasing their rhetoric regarding the nature of ISIS. For example, Kerry recently said that actions by ISIS "pose a severe threat to the United States" and "bear all the warning signs and hallmarks of genocide."

Speaking at Camp Pendleton Tuesday, Hagel said that the Islamic State terrorists were "some of the most brutal, barbaric forces we've ever seen." And they are recruiting all over the world.

This picture of a former British rapper posing with a severed head is making headlines in England. As many as 900 people from France are reportedly waging jihad with ISIS. They have western passports and could easily return to wage jihad in their home countries, including the United States.

But even the Washington Post was forced to admit that Obama's policies in no way reflect the reality of this severe, brutal, barbaric, genocidal threat. Consider this excerpt:"Senior U.S. officials describe the threat posed by the Islamic State in chilling terms, but they have mounted a decidedly modest military campaign to check its advance through northern Iraq. … So far, though, the Obama administration's response to the group's blitzkrieg … has been defined primarily by the limits it has placed on the U.S. military's intervention."The article goes on to describe a "disconnect between the unnerving assessments of the Islamic State and the apparent lack of urgency in confronting it," noting that the Obama Administration has "no clear military strategy for reversing the group's recent territorial gains."

Frustration And Immigration Top Voter Concerns - Yesterday, Gallup released a poll finding that "dissatisfaction with government/Congress/politicians" topped the list of voters' most pressing concerns. Number two on that list was "immigration/illegal aliens." Those two issues can be reasonably combined.

The government is supposed to protect our borders. But when thousands of men, women and children are streaming across our borders every day, the government is clearly failing in its primary obligation to protect its borders and our fellow citizens.

And what is the response from Washington? We have a president who has repeatedly disregarded the law. He has encouraged the problem of illegal immigration by granting amnesty to some illegal immigrants.

The Washington Times reports that the Obama Administration broke the law by releasing hundreds of criminal illegal immigrants into communities all over the country. No wonder people are frustrated with government!

By the way, the Obama Administration is warning more than 300,000 Obamacare enrollees that they may lose coverage if they can't provide proof of citizenship. Remind me again why it is illegal and bigoted to ask people to provide proof of citizenship when they vote?

Any day now Obama is expected to order another massive amnesty by executive decree. That is not what the American people want. Last week, CBS News reported that just 31% of Americans approve of Obama's handling of immigration.

As Republicans read the polls and sense the growing anger, they are running ads on immigration and making Obama's allies feel the heat. Politico reports today that "there's palpable fear that Obama could cause trouble for the Senate's most vulnerable Democrats if he decides to circumvent Congress before the elections."

If Republicans are looking to turn up the heat, a new Rasmussen poll finds that "83% of Americans believe English should be the official language of the United States. Only 10% disagree." Put that up for a vote in Congress and watch Democrats squirm!

But far more important than just this election is the damage such a move would do to our constitutional republic. Even some liberals are acknowledging that it would be a terrible precedent. In a column entitled, "Obama's Immigration Plan Should Scare Liberals, Too," Jonathan Chait writes:"What if a Republican president announced that he would stop enforcing the payment of estate taxes? Or suspend enforcement of regulations on industrial pollution? …

"To think that the cycle [of unilateralism] will end here, and that a future president won't claim more expansive and disturbing powers to selectively enforce the law, requires an optimism not borne out by history. In the short run, we will rejoice... In the long run, we may look back on it with regret."-------------
Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families

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